Robert Suzzi Valli

Associate Professor, Mathematics

Robert Suzzi Valli began his mathematical journey as an undergraduate at Manhattan College.  After taking upper-level mathematics courses, including independent studies, and engaging in a summer research project with a faculty member at Manhattan, he decided to go onto graduate school.  In 2013, he earned his Ph.D. in mathematics from the CUNY Graduate Center, specializing in the field of hyperbolic geometry.

Soon after he returned to the Manhattan College community as a faculty member.  Robert has continued his research in hyperbolic geometry, while also engaging students in research and community-building activities.  A follow up project to his own undergraduate project has led to a publication with a student and colleague in The College Mathematics Journal. (See the Publications and Scholarly Activities section below - "Shortest Paths on Cubes.") Robert was the faculty moderator for Manhattan College's chapter of Pi Mu Epsilon, the national mathematics honor society, from 2016-2019 and he is the current advisor of the Math Club (https://manhattan.edu/life-at-manhattan/clubs-organizations/mc-mc.php).  In Fall 2020, the School of Science launched an Honors Program designed to enrich the Manhattan College experience for its most talented and hard-working science and mathematics students.  Robert was the inaugural director of the Honors Program from 2020-2024.

Education

  • PHD, CUNY Graduate Center
  • MPHIL, CUNY Graduate Center
  • MA, CUNY Graduate Center
  • BS, Manhattan College

Courses Taught

Fall 2024 Courses:
MATH 185: Calculus 1
MATH 187: Honors Calculus 1
MATH 372: Linear Algebra 1

Courses Taught in Past Semesters:
MATH 151: Modern Math: Social Choice
MATH 154: Calculus for Business Decisions
MATH 155: Calculus for the Life Sciences 1
MATH 156: Calculus for the Life Sciences 2
MATH 185: Calculus 1
MATH 186: Calculus 2
MATH 187: Honors Calculus 1
MATH 188: Honors Calculus 2
MATH 285: Calculus 3
MATH 286: Differential Equations
MATH 287: Honors Calculus 3
MATH 322: Fundamental Concepts: Geometry & Measurement
MATH 361: Introduction to Higher Geometry
MATH 372: Linear Algebra 1
MATH 489: Problem Seminar
MATH 490: Complex Analysis
MATH 492: Topics in Mathematics - Complex Analysis 2
MATH 499: Independent Study - Complex Analysis 2
MATG 690: Graduate Complex Analysis

 

  • Research

    My research is predominantly in the field of hyperbolic geometry.  In particular, I study closed geodesics on hyperbolic orbifold surfaces.

  • Publications and Scholarly Activities

    Submissions & Publications in Peer-Reviewed Journals:

    • "Counting Cusp Excursions of Reciprocal Geodesics," A. Basmajian & R. Suzzi Valli, Accepted for publication in Contemporary Mathematics, American Mathematical Society (2023) arxiv pdf
    • "Combinatorial Growth in the Modular Group," A. Basmajian & R. Suzzi Valli, Groups, Geometry, and Dynamics 16 (2022), no. 2, 683-703. (DOI: 10.4171/GGD/667)
    • "Shortest Paths on Cubes," R. Goldstone, R. Roca (Class of 2021), & R. Suzzi Valli, The College Mathematics Journal 52 (2021), no. 2, 121-132. (DOI: 10.1080/07468342.2021.1866944)
    • "Unfoldings of the Cube," R. Goldstone & R. Suzzi Valli, The College Mathematics Journal 50 (2019), no. 3, 173-184. (DOI: 10.1080/07468342.2019.1580108) 
    • "Figure Eight Geodesics on 2-Orbifolds," R. Suzzi Valli, Computational Methods and Function Theory 16 (2016), no. 1, 105-125. (DOI: 10.1007/s40315-015-0125-z)
    Media Highlights (Journal Article Reviews):

    • "Using Euclidean Tools to Construct Objects in the Klein Disk," G. Connolly & T. Dray, The Pi Mu Epsilon Journal, To Appear
    • "The Moduli Space of Acute Triangles," J. Baez, Notices of the AMS, To Appear

    • "On Best Practices for the Recruitment, Retention, and Flourishing of LGBTQ+ Mathematicians," R. Buckmire, A. Folsom, C. Goff, A. Hoover, J. Nakao, and K.A. Sather-Wagstaff, Notices of the AMS, (2024) Media Highlights, The College Mathematics Journal 55:1, 68. (DOI: 10.1080/07468342.2024.2285198)

    • "Generating Conic Sections Using Circles," I. Mastoras & J. L. Johnson, The Pi Mu Epsilon Journal, (2023) Media Highlights, The College Mathematics Journal 54:1, 77. (DOI: 10.1080/07468342.2021.1909995)

    • "Problem-posing: A Look Behind the Scences," G. Oman, The Pi Mu Epsilon Journal, (2021) Media Highlights, The College Mathematics Journal 52:3, 240, (DOI: 10.1080/07468342.2021.1909995)

    • "May 12: Celebrating Women in Mathematics - From One Idea to One Hundred Events," N. Argawal, C. Araujo, P. Bonfert-Taylor, M. Mahmoudi, M.F. Ouedraogo, O. Paris-Romaskevich, M-F. Roy, E. Strickland, and A. Vera Gajardo, Notices of the AMS, (2020) Media Highlights, The College Mathematics Journal 51:2, 159. (DOI: 10.1080/07468342.2019.1701916)
    • "Humanizing Mathematics and its Philosophy," J. Auslander, Notices of the AMS, (2019) Media Highlights, The College Mathematics Journal 50:2, 153. (DOI: 10.1080/07468342.2019.1560204)
    • "Mathematics Applied to the Study of Bicycles," J. Papadopoulos, Notices of the AMS, (2018) Media Highlights, The College Mathematics Journal 49:5, 386. (DOI: 10.1080/07468342.2018.1505134)
    • "Durer's Unfolding Problem for Convex Polyhedra," M. Ghomi,
      Notices of the AMS, (2018) Media Highlights, The College Mathematics Journal 49:5, 390-391. (DOI: 10.1080/07468342.2018.1505134)

    • "Curious Calculus Questions from Students and Colleagues - Part III," K. Nabb & D. Nghiem, MathAMATYC Educator, (2018) Media Highlights, The College Mathematics Journal 49:3, 236-237. (DOI: 10.080/07468342.2018.1436840)

    • "The World War II Origins of Mathematics Awareness," M.J. Barany, Notices of the AMS, (2018) Media Highlights, The College Mathematics Journal 49:2, 153. (DOI: 10.1080/07468342.2017.1419010)

    • "Domain Coloring and the Argument Principle," F.A. Farris, PRIMUS. (2018) Media Highlights, The College Mathematics Journal 49:1, 78-79. (DOI: 10.1080/07468342.2017.1397976)

    Selected Presentations:

    • "Combinatorial Growth of Reciprocal Geodesics on the Modular Surface," Geometry & Topology Seminar, University of Bristol, November 2022
    • "The Spider and the Fly on the Cube," (Virtual) U CAL Math Club, California University of Pennsylvania, April 2022
    • "Combinatorial Growth in the Modular Group," (Virtual) Hyperbolic Geometry Seminar, CUNY: The Graduate Center, March 2022
    • "The Spider and the Fly on I^3," with R. Goldstone & R. Roca, Pi Mu Epsilon Induction Ceremony Keynote Address, Manhattan College, April 2021
    • "Educational Technology Show and Tell: GeoGebra," Mathematics Department Seminar, Manhattan College, November 2020
    • "Shortest Paths on Cubes," Metro NExT Worshop 2019, NYU Courant Institute, September 2019
    • "Growth Rates in the Modular Group, Parts 1 & 2, Hyperbolic Geometry Seminar, CUNY: The Graduate Center, February 2019
    • "Geometry at Manhattan," Poster Presentation, The Geometry for Secondary Teachers Conference, University of Michigan, June 2018
    • "Conjugacy Class Growth in the Modular Group," Mathematics Department Seminar, Manhattan College, May 2018
    • "The Hyperbolic Plane & Surfaces," Mathematics Department Seminar, Manhattan College, May 2016
    • "An Introduction to Hyperbolic Geometry & Surfaces," Mathematics Department Seminar, Manhattan College, March 2016
    • "Non-simple Closed Geodesics on Orbifolds," AMS Spring Eastern Sectional Meeting - Special Session on Invariants of Closed Curves on Surfaces, Stony Brook University, March 2016
    • "Lengths of Geodesics on Hyperbolic Surfaces," Hyperbolic Geometry Seminar, CUNY: The Graduate Center, November 2015
    • "Shortest Paths on Cubes," Mathematics Department Seminar, Manhattan College, April 2015
    • "Shortest Paths on Cubes," Senior Undergraduate Mathematics Seminar, Connecticut College, September 2014
    • "Closed Geodesics on Orbifold Surfaces," 29th Summer Conference on Topology and Its Applications - Special Session on Geometric Topology, CUNY: The College of Staten Island, July 2014
    • "Figure Eights on Orbifold Surfaces," Sixth Iberoamerican Congress on Geometry - Special Session on Hyperbolic Geometry, CUNY: The Graduate Center, May 2014
    • "Shortest Paths on Cubes," Math Department Seminar Series, Marist College, May 2014
    • " Non-simple closed geodesics on orbifold surfaces," Complex Analysis and Dynamics Seminar, CUNY: The Graduate Center, May 2013
    • "Paths and homotopy on orbifold surfaces," Hyperbolic Geometry Seminar, CUNY: The Graduate Center, May 2013
    • "Figure eight geodesics on hyperbolic orbifold surfaces," Hyperbolic Geometry Seminar, Simons Center at Stony Brook University, September 2012
    • "Generators and relations for the mapping class group," Hyperbolic Geometry Seminar, CUNY: The Graduate Center, July 2012
    • "The pants complex is connected," Hyperbolic Geometry Seminar, CUNY: The Graduate Center, February 2011
  • Professional Experience and Memberships

    Experience:

    • Visiting Research Scholar, CUNY: The Graduate Center, September 2022 - January 2023
    • Science Honors Program Director, Manhattan College, May 2020 - May 2024
    • Associate Professor, Manhattan College, August 2021 - Present
    • Assistant Professor, Manhattan College, August 2016 - June 2021
    • Visiting Assistant Professor, Manhattan College, August 2013 - June 2016
    • Adjunct Lecturer, CUNY: Lehman College, August 2010 - May 2013
    • Graduate Teaching Fellow, CUNY: Lehman College, August 2007 - May 2010

    Memberships:

    • Sigma Xi (Full Membership)
    • American Mathematical Society (AMS)
    • Mathematical Association of America (MAA)
    • Phi Beta Kappa
  • Honors, Awards, and Grants
    • MAA Metro NExT Fellow, Spring 2019 - Spring 2021
    • Awarded scholarship from the Geometry, Reasoning, and Instructional Practices (GRIP) team at the University of Michigan to attend and present at the Geometry for Secondary Teachers Conference, June 14-15, 2018
    • Faculty Marshal for the School of Science, Manhattan College Undergraduate Commencement, 2018
    • Awarded Faculty Development Plan, Manhattan College School of Science, Fall 2017 - Spring 2020
    • Recognized Professor, 6th Borough Bridge Program, Manhattan College, 2016
    • Chancellor's Fellowship, CUNY: The Graduate Center, 2006-2011
    • CUNY Tuition Fellowship, CUNY: The Graduate Center, 2006-2011
    • Francis B. Taylor Medal for Excellence in Science and Mathematics, Manhattan College, 2006
    • Brother Birillus Thomas Medal for Mathematics, Manhattan College, 2006
    • Summer Research Grant, School of Science, Manhattan College, 2005
    • Physics Full Tuition Scholarship, Manhattan College, 2002
    • Presidential Scholarship, Manhattan College, 2002